La Liga
Why Coutinho is Perfect Fit for Barcelona
BY SAM FRANSISCO.
With the Catalan Giants, FC Barcelona reportedly having seen a $72 million bid rejected for the Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho by Liverpool, they shouldn’t relent on all efforts to get the midfielder as he is custom made for their style of play
Coutinho is Barcelona’s key target this summer but Liverpool aren’t budging in their stance that the player isn’t for sale, given that he is the nexus of the Anfield outfit’s attack, but like we all know in football, everyone is for sale at the right price.
The Spanish outfit should put out all stops to get the 25-year-old nicknamed the ‘Little Magician’ because of his amazing blend of pace, trickery and ability to hit absolute screamers from seemingly anywhere along the frontline.
Now why should they spend over and beyond for Countinho?
First they need a creative midfielder following Xavi’s departure and Iniesta’s decline due to age, Lionel Messi has tried to fill that role playing in the midfield just behind Neymar and Luis Suarez, but it has actually hurt them more than helped them in the previous season.
Coutinho fits this bill as he takes some of the creative burden away from the diminutive Argentinean and allows him to flourish, he has also proven he can play in the high press and possession oriented style of play Jurgen Klopp has introduced to Liverpool.
Secondly Coutinho is an intelligent footballer and his vision and ability to pick a pass even in tight spaces should prove invaluable to the Camp Nou outfit given they have the most deadly attacking trio world football has ever seen.
Ivan Rakitic or even Arda Turan have not been able to plug that gap between defence and attack and Barcelona urgently needs someone who can pick a pass and also is a threat right from midfield.
This was evident against Juventus in the quarterfinals of Europe’s elite club competition last season as Barcelona struggled to carve open a resolute defence, baring this deficiency and lack of creativity- and in Coutinho they might just solve that problem.
Lastly the dedication and commitment of the Little Magician to his game is without question and he doesn’t have a reputation of being rebellious or associated with any kind of trouble,
He is also quite adept in fulfilling any role assigned to him across the midfield, this in itself is a rarity that most footballers don’t posses and why Ernesto Valverde cannot and should not let him slip.
Some might argue he doesn’t score a lot of goals but the beauty of this union is Barcelona doesn’t need him to score goals, they just need him to provide them and that he is very capable of.
Barcelona turned the Clasico into a coronation on Sunday, swatting aside Real Madrid 2-0 at a roaring Camp Nou to claim their 29th LaLiga title.
Hansi Flick’s side moved to an unassailable 91 points, 14 clear of second-placed Real with three games remaining.
The triumph capped a dominant campaign in which they lost only four league matches. Villarreal are third on 69 points.
Real arrived needing victory to keep their wafer-thin title hopes alive, but Marcus Rashford crushed those aspirations just nine minutes into the game.
Antonio Rudiger fouled Ferran Torres just outside the box, and Rashford bent a superb free kick into Thibaut Courtois’ top-left corner, giving Barcelona the early lead and sending the home crowd into raptures.
Nine minutes later, Barcelona doubled the lead. Fermin Lopez crossed into the area, and Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel that sent the ball into the path of Torres, who rifled a fierce strike into the top corner.
The win completed back-to-back league titles for Flick, who also delivered the LaLiga and Copa del Rey double in his first season last year.
Both sides were heavily depleted. Barcelona were without Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Jules Kounde from the starting lineup.
Real’s list of missing players was longer, with Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Arda Guler and Rodrygo all absent. Federico Valverde also missed out after suffering a head injury following a midweek changing-room fight with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni, with both players fined 500,000 euros over the incident.
Kylian Mbappe did not travel because of a leg muscle injury, forcing manager Alvaro Arbeloa to start Vinicius Jr alongside academy striker Gonzalo, with Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz pushing forward in support.
Real threatened through Vinicius and Gonzalo before halftime, but Barcelona carried the greater menace. Courtois kept the visitors alive with fine saves from Torres and Rashford before the interval.
Barcelona continued to press after the break, Rashford repeatedly tormenting left back Fran Garcia down the right, while Courtois produced another sharp stop with his left foot to deny Torres from point-blank range in the 56th minute.
Bellingham had a goal ruled out for offside in the 62nd minute, and Joan Garcia was quick to deny Vinicius in a one-on-one, preventing the Brazilian from lifting the ball over him.
Real kept probing late on, but there was little bite in their attack, and Barcelona calmly saw out the win before the title celebrations began.
“This title is even more special because we won it at home against Real Madrid. Now it’s time to enjoy it with the fans,” Frenkie de Jong told Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus.
“Every title has to be celebrated in style. Especially LaLiga, which is a year-long competition. We’ve clearly been the best in Spain.”
-Reuters
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Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada was sent off for punching Huesca captain Jorge Pulido in a fiery Spanish second division clash on Sunday that descended into a mass brawl, with Huesca keeper Dani Jimenez dismissed for punching Andrada.
Zaragoza’s Dani Tasende was also dismissed after a VAR review of the brawl.
With tensions simmering in a relegation scrap, Argentine Andrada lost his composure moments before the final whistle. Ignoring the run of play, he approached Pulido and struck him in the face with his right hand, sparking chaotic scenes eight minutes into stoppage time.
It was an ugly flashpoint in a match already short on finesse and heavy on nerves, and could carry serious consequences for the goalkeeper.
Huesca manager Jose Luis did not attempt to defend the scenes.
“It’s hard to explain; I think it’s a complete loss of control. I can put myself in their shoes, given what was at stake and all. But it’s unjustifiable. It’s just that I don’t know what to do or how to stop it; a brawl breaks out,” he said.
“It’s ugly; this was supposed to be a celebration of Aragonese football. I’d like people to talk about the match, even though it was ugly, with little play but a lot of hard work.”
Oscar Sielva’s goal secured a 1-0 win for Huesca, lifting them to 36 points in 19th place, while Zaragoza remain second-bottom on 35.
-Reuters
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Joan Laporta has been re-elected as Barcelona president after winning over 68 percent of the vote and will begin his second consecutive term, and fourth overall, from July 1, the club said on Sunday.
The 63-year-old took office in March 2021 and stepped down last month in line with club statutes in order to seek re-election.
Laporta described the election as a “celebration of democracy and civic responsibility” and said the tasks ahead included finishing work on the Camp Nou and strengthening the men’s team.
-Reuters
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